Say Yes to Holiness Newsletter #349
Inspiration for the week of January 12, 2026
Welcome to the latest edition of the weekly Say Yes to Holiness newsletter—designed to help inspire, encourage and accompany you on the path towards holiness.
Yesterday, we celebrated the Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord.
For most people, it also marks the “end” of the Christmas season as we are now liturgically in “Ordinary Time.”
But there is nothing ordinary about ordinary time.
Why?
Because the Lord’s baptism doesn’t just serve merely as the marker to the end of a liturgical season. It also signals that through baptism we are each being invited into the extraordinary.
No ordinary lives. Rather, because of baptism, we can live out lives of holiness.
Each one of us have the potential, by virtue of our baptism, to be extraordinary saints.
But we tend to shrug it off and settle for “ordinary,” don’t we?
Well, this week’s Food for the Head, Heart, Hands and Feet is going to inspire, encourage, and empower you to level up and strive for extraordinary as we journey on the road towards holiness…
Food for the Head
" . . . this ideal of perfection must not be understood as if it involved some kind of extraordinary existence, possible only for a few “uncommon heroes” of holiness. The ways of holiness are many, according to the vocation of each individual…The time has come to re-propose wholeheartedly to everyone this high standard of ordinary Christian living: the whole life of the Christian community and of Christian families must lead in this direction. It is also clear however that the paths to holiness are personal and call for a genuine “training in holiness,” adapted to people’s needs…”—Saint Pope John Paul II, Novo Millenio Ineunte, 31
Saint Pope John Paul II wrote this at the turn of the third millenium back in 2000. It has now been twenty-five years, and although many have heard this “re-proposal.” many still have not.
It is our responsibility as the baptized to share this reality with every person, regardless of whether they are people of faith.
To share that the ways of holiness are many, and that every individual, but especially Christians, are each called to have a high standard for their life and for their families, and for their community.
We are to make it clear through our “training in holiness” that every person is called to great sanctity and to live out our vocations to the full as the priests, prophets and kings we were created and baptized to be.
We must live each day with this reality serving as our standard and guide and serve as the foundation for all of our decisions.
When we do this, we will live out this ideal of perfection and become witnesses of God’s love and mercy in the world just as Jesus was.
These are promises we make at baptism, and it is God’s call to each one of us to know, love and serve Him now and for all eternity.
What will our answer be?
This week, determine how you will answer God’s call to live the life of holiness to which He has called you.
Food for the Heart
"Just as a man cannot live in the flesh unless he is born in the flesh, even so a man cannot have the spiritual life of grace unless he is born again spiritually. This regeneration is effected by Baptism.”—Saint Thomas Aquinas
Saint Thomas Aquinas reminds us of the vital importance of baptism.
Simply, without baptism we are incapable of having a spiritual life.
Baptism is the gateway sacrament.
In addition to creating a rebirth in Christ, baptism also:
opens a channel of blessing from God to us;
grants us a share of God’s divine life;
delivers spiritual gifts and charisms;
provides nourishment that enables growth in virtue and holiness
makes one an adopted son or daughter of God; and
a member of the Body of Christ.
In other words, baptism changes everything.
But what are we doing with the spiritual life that has been entrusted to us?
Are we deepening our relationship with God through prayer and meditation?
Are we utilizing those gifts and charisms that He has entrusted to us?
Are we striving to grow in virtue and holiness?
Are we living as beloved children of God?
Are we acting in unity with our fellow brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ to build the Kingdom of God?
These questions are just a start for how we can reflect upon how well we are doing and how we might become better at living as the priests, prophets and kings we have been baptized to be.
So, what one thing will you be doing to live out your baptism more fully in the weeks ahead?
This week, resolve to live out your baptism more fully.
Food for the Hands
"If you keep silent, keep silent by love: if you speak, speak by love; if you correct, correct by love; if you pardon, pardon by love; let love be rooted in you, and from the root nothing but good can grow.”—Saint Augustine
Saint Augustine gives us the guide by which to grow into the holy men and women God has invited us to become.
Love.
Love is to guide us in all things.
Love is to help us choose whether we remain silent or speak.
Love is empower us to correct or not.
Love is to assist us in pardoning.
But most importantly, love is be the root at anything we think, say or do.
For when we allow love to be at the root of all things in our lives, then nothing but good can grow.
So, allow love to guide you and be the source of all that you are about each day.
And then watch the good grow.
This week, resolve to let love be rooted in you mind, heart and soul so good may grow.
Food for the Feet
"A holy life is not primarily the result of our efforts, our actions, because it is God, the three times Holy (Isaiah 6:3) who sanctifies us. It is the Holy Spirit’s action that enlivens us from within, it is the very life of the Risen Christ that is communicated to us and that transforms us…Yet God always respects our freedom and asks that we accept this gift and live the requirements it entails and he asks that we let ourselves be transformed by the action of the Holy Spirit, conforming our will to the will of God.”—Pope Benedict
So often, we judge whether someone is holy solely by their exterior actions.
While actions are a part of holiness, it is not the sole criterion because it is God, the three times Holy, as Pope Benedict describes Him who sanctifies us.
It is the life of Christ enlivened by the Holy Spirit within us that transforms us.
This is why holiness can be defined as transforming union with God.
We tend to say holiness is about perfection, and it is, but not in the way we think of perfection.
The perfection God is seeking from each one of us is for us to be perfectly ourselves as He created us, and through which our baptism empowers us to be.
Because God respects our freedom, God offers us this gift of transforming love, and we have to decide whether to SAY YES.
When we do SAY YES, then we will find that our will is conformed to the will of God. And the more we SAY YES, the more easily, promptly and consistently this will happen.
But it begins with one YES.
Mary’s life is the perfect example of how the one YES became a life of YES and we can see how her life was transformed in union with her God and Savior.
Saint after saint after saint has done the same throughout the centuries since.
Were they perfect?
In the eyes of the world, no.
But they were perfectly themselves and completely transformed in union with God.
They began with one YES, and then they eventually became the witnesses who speak to us of the power of one YES.
We simply need to have the courage to do the same.
This week, resolve to give one more YES to the Lord and trust Him to do the rest.
Exhortation
"Baptism is not the work of man but of Christ.”—Saint Isidore
Saint Isidore speaks plainly.
Baptism is not about us. It is about Christ.
And when we give our YES to Christ, He will take that YES and do great things with us.
Such great things that, if we trust, will transform us in union with Him in such a profound way that we will become perfectly ourselves and witnesses to God’s love, mercy and power.
May each of you do WHATEVER IT TAKES this week to SAY YES, so that together we can tell the Master of Death, "NOT TODAY!"
All the best,
Christina
Below are the Latest Happenings In the Say Yes to Holiness Community!
Guest appearances on the Religion to Reality podcast:
Catholic Podcasting with Paul Fahey, Christina Semmens, and Jose Manuel de Urquidi
Living the Works of Mercy: Bridging Faith and Action
(My comments can be found around the 24 minute mark.)
Guest appearance on the Equipcast Podcast:
"When God Asks, How Do You Answer?: The Power of 'Yes' with Christina Semmens
Posts on the Women of the New Evangelization (WINE) blog in 2025:
Do Not Be Terrified (Nov 16)
Gaining Wisdom of Heart (Sept 9)
The Passion of the Passion (Apr 13)
Bearing Fruit in a Pruning Season (March 23)
Putting Out Into the Deep (Feb 9)
Article on Catholic365.com Platform:
We Are All Eucharistic Missionaires!
Latest episode of the Say Yes to Holiness podcast...
Episode #257—”Embracing New Beginnings: Setting Priorities for the New Year”
Subscribe to the Say Yes to Holiness podcast!
You can listen to the latest episodes of the podcast on Apple, Spotify, or anywhere else you listen to podcasts.
You can also watch the podcast on the Say Yes to Holiness YouTube channel
Click Here to Check Out All the Podcast Episodes
The Say Yes to Holiness YouTube Channel
Episode #257—”Embracing New Beginnings: Setting Priorities for the New Year”
The Catholic Leadership Puzzle content continues! Here is the latest...
The Catholic Leadership Puzzle is a initiative that shares and discusses content from my upcoming book (also to be named The Catholic Leadership Puzzle) that focuses upon how we each can help to create life-giving communities where we can become the holy men and women that God created us to be.